The present invention relates generally to venetian blinds and more specifically to a novel mounting bracket for the head rail of the blind assembly characterized by novel features of construction and arrangement facilitating accurate and easy assembly and disassembly of the blinds in a window opening or the like. The present invention also contemplates and is directed to a novel mounting arrangement for suspending a venetian blind in a double pane window assembly. Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of novel slat ladder and tilt control bar combination insuring closing of all the slats to the same angular attitude when the slats are actuated to extreme limit positions thereby providing optimum light shielding characteristics. The slat ladder and tilt control bar arrangement incorporates a slip feature permitting rotation of the tilt bar relative to the ladder at the extreme limit positions to minimize wear and damage.
The venetian blind assembly of the present invention also incorporates novel means accurately positioning the blind assembly in a predetermined centered position in the window opening including bumper or stop means preventing lateral displacement of the head rail upon acutation of the lift cord to raise and lower the blind.
Conventional venetian blinds usually include a head rail supported on brackets or the like in the upper section of a window opening, a bottom rail and a plurality of horizontally disposed slats supported in ladder strings or tapes suspended from the head rail and secured to the bottom rail. The assembly further includes a rotatable tilt control rod connected to the ladder or tape to change the angular attitude of the slats and a separate actuator for raising and lowering the blind.
The typical head rail assembly of conventional prior known venetian blinds usually consists of an elongated channel member of U-shaped cross section supported by brackets adjacent the top of a window. There are many bracket configurations and the precise type is dictated by the configuration of the structure defining the window opening. The particular design may dictate a side, top or front wall mounting. The brackets for each type installation are usually supplied in pairs of differing configuration, one for each end of the head rail. This obviously is a disadvantage to a supplier by reason of having to store a large quantity of hardware.
Presently known mounting arrangements for double pane window installations are also complicated construction and usually require a tool to detach the head rail after once installed.
Another problem inherent in double pane venetian blind installations is the lateral displacement of the head rail assembly in the brackets resulting from a thrust force induced by the actuating system for raising and lowering the blind. This displacement is obviously undesirable since it tends to off center the blind relative to the sash and therefore is somewhat esthetically awkward. In some instances, lateral displacement jams the bottom of the blind against the side wall of the window casement with the result that the slats assume a cocked position correctable only by disassembling the sash which is time consuming and annoying. Displacement of the head rail often results in wear and abrasion due to contact of the blind slats on the window.